My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Going Cold Twinkle Turkey

This is always a week filled with separation anxiety when the Christmas tree is packed away and nothing blinks, twinkles or sparkles...

Is it better to go Cold Twinkle Turkey and embrace the minimalist living room or rather ease into it?

What you need is a diversion, I say. Something that is really quick and easy to do but still captures the imagination...

Clean, devoid of all tinsel and Christmas twinkles, just pure meditative beauty.

See it as making space for all the exciting new things to come...

And celebrate the beauty of winter.

Tulips float freely on a frozen snow pond... Well, in my imagination anyway

Sign up for my weekly newsletter

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Sign Up Now
Tutorials
Large wax snowflakes
4 December 2013
Large wax snowflakes

Artificial snow can be very "chemical" and flowers deteriorate quickly when exposed to it. It also dissolves in water. I use candle wax as "snow"
Bubble raft to float flowers
3 January 2012
Bubble raft to float flowers

Flowers naturally float in water. They just don’t always naturally float on water. For that they sometimes need a bit of help.
Cellophane wrap cracked ice
3 January 2012
Cellophane wrap cracked ice

Cellophane and plastic wrap in a clear vase, filled with water, creates a cracked ice effect
Baby’s Tears spill-over for a water-drop vase
7 May 2025
Baby’s Tears spill-over for a water-drop vase

Spend a bit of time styling the Pilea Glauca in your container... well worth it! It will root and you can simply replace the flowers (in their own secret water source) as needed.
Light Layer float Wisteria flowers
17 May 2023
Light Layer float Wisteria flowers

Craft the softest layer of wisteria flowers that neatly float on water.
Spiked Tulip Fan
1 February 2023
Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.
Above and below water jasmine in a grass square
3 August 2022
Above and below water jasmine in a grass square

Not only is water designs wonderfully refreshing to make... it is also wonderfully refreshing for your flowers.
Floral Raft in a Bottle
7 July 2021
Floral Raft in a Bottle

Float flowers in a bottle by giving each flower their own little bubble wrap raft-skirt.
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design
20 January 2021
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring
Curve a feather
20 January 2021
Curve a feather

A small adjustment to the shape of the feather creates a more whimsical look.
A floral float… that floats
20 May 2020
A floral float… that floats

If you know my work you have probably seen me do this: I float flowers using a tiny bubble wrap skirt... this time I am floating an entire design on it's own bubble wrap raft.
Use wired faux elements to secure your design
20 November 2019
Use wired faux elements to secure your design

When you use wired branches they double as... well... wires to secure your other design details. This is such a quick and easy design solution!
Cracked ice, freshly fallen snow and fire... in a bud vase
20 November 2019
Cracked ice, freshly fallen snow and fire... in a bud vase

It looks like these candles are thoroughly snowed and iced in place but they actually rest just below the edge of a bud vase so that they can be taken out to switch the battery on and off when needed.
Stack banana leaf rice pockets to float as rosettes
4 September 2019
Stack banana leaf rice pockets to float as rosettes

Fold and peg banana leaves into pockets so that they float freely on water. This is inspired by a traditional banana leaf craft used to cook rice in.
Zig-Zag fold plastic for a flower stem support
23 January 2019
Zig-Zag fold plastic for a flower stem support

Zig Zag fold clear plastic for a flower stem support that looks like ice
Long Lichen branches to dress up a curvy vase
5 December 2018
Long Lichen branches to dress up a curvy vase

Secure two lichen covered branched to rest around the neck of a curvy vase.
Glued Hydrangea Float
11 July 2018
Glued Hydrangea Float

Glue a delicate hydrangea wreath to float on water
Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water
17 January 2018
Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water

Such a peaceful design with just enough float and "stay put" elements
Related Designs
To design to our point
7 May 2025
To design to our point

Show off the most delicate alpine poppy by placing it in a veil of baby's tears (Pilea glauca)
Purple haze… float
17 May 2023
Purple haze… float

Softest Wisteria colour to cool things down on an unexpectedly warm day.
Why When
1 February 2023
Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out
It's a Heatwave!
3 August 2022
It's a Heatwave!

Deep water design for extremely warm weather.
Do and Don'ts
7 July 2021
Do and Don'ts

One of my trusty tried and tested techniques. When the going gets hot... float your flowers!
Hope Bubble
20 January 2021
Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.
Whatever floats your boat
20 May 2020
Whatever floats your boat

This is one of my best known and still my go-to core techniques for floating flowers.
Not just a pretty face!
20 November 2019
Not just a pretty face!

Design 2 of my three week pre-Christmas designing series looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: wired branches
Gently down the stream
4 September 2019
Gently down the stream

A mindful summer craft using banana leaves to create a floating arrangement.
Do they have cold feet?
23 January 2019
Do they have cold feet?

Keep flower stems upright with a folded cellophane plastic support that looks like cracked ice.
Personal Preference
5 December 2018
Personal Preference

The third design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.
Stay-a-Float
11 July 2018
Stay-a-Float

Snip florets from a hydrangea mop head to float on water
Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place
17 January 2018
Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place

Create a subtle contrast by floating or anchoring some of your design elements.
While I sing of beauty's treasure
6 December 2017
While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree
Dream, Job
7 June 2017
Dream, Job

Create a grid to rest some plant material so that it floats and some with their stems to rest in the water below
Gumusservi
1 March 2017
Gumusservi

To celebrate the 6th year anniversary of My Creative Workbook I am looking at the most popular Tutorial I have done to date:
Be My Twig-Heart
10 February 2016
Be My Twig-Heart

Glue an upright twig heart for a freestanding Valentine's display
Down-bubble
7 October 2015
Down-bubble

Add grass "bubbles" that can be repositioned to your design
Turning of the leaves
22 September 2012
Turning of the leaves

An Autumn Equinox design that captures the moment before the spectacular colour burst of autumn floats around again
Favourite Flowers
Tulipa
Tulipa

Plaited tulips in my I’ve got my head in the clouds design.